An article by historian Robert N. Wilkins in the Montreal Gazette about how Edwardian Montrealers celebrated Easter reminded me of how it seemed like everyone used to wear their Sunday best to church.
Photo: Gail Dever
Mr. Wilkins writes that an April 24, 1905 Montreal Star article featured a photo of Edwardian Montrealers. “The women 〈wore〉 elegant, ankle-length dresses” as they left morning services at St. James Methodist Church on downtown Ste-Catherine Street West.
In my own family album, there is an Easter photo of my sister and me that makes me giggle. There we are standing in the snow-covered driveway, while smiling and shivering in our new spring coats and hats. Because of the cold weather, we probably should have worn our winter coats, but Easter Sunday was the first day of the year we were finally allowed to wear our lightweight coats and white gloves.
Mr. Wilkins also writes, “The holiday was also the occasion for relatives to re-establish contact after a long, cold winter.” The Easter postcard became popular in the early 1900s, much to the dismay of letter carriers who complained about the increase to their daily workload.
Read Mr. Wilkin’s full article here.
Happy Easter!
